The Love We Found

by David Horne

  It was going to take a while to get things back on track, but Jackson was willing to give it a go if Andrew was.

  Andrew was still looking up at the ceiling. He looked drained. Jackson hadn’t seen him eat properly in the last two days. He squeezed his lover’s leg.

  “How are you doing?”

  Andrew sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.

  “Just a little lightheaded.”

  “You need to put your head between your legs.”

  “I’d rather put my head between your legs.” Andrew winked at him. “That would certainly get more blood in my head.”

  “Andrew…”

  “Sorry, I forgot.” Andrew patted Jackson’s thigh, a little too close to his growing erection. “Not in tight suits. What I meant was the weight lifted off my shoulders a little faster than I expected. Now I can see life being better for me.”

  That was something. Despite looking worn out, there were less stress lines on his face. Jackson took Andrew’s hand as it wandered over his leg and linked his fingers with Andrew’s.

  “Antoinette’s been a big thorn in your side for years.”

  “But how did I not know that she was abusing the kids? And how come they kids didn’t say anything before? They knew I would help them if I found out they were being abused.”

  “I can answer that.”

  Andrew rolled his eyes.

  “Go on, smartass, enlighten me.”

  Jackson let that slide. He knew Andrew was listening.

  “You know what she wants to know. There’s a part of you that still cares for Antoinette, whether you want to admit it or not, and that blinds you to a lot of things regarding her.” Jackson tapped the side of his head. “Up here, you think she wouldn’t touch her children. You remember her as a loving parent, that she would never go that far. And the kids knew that if they said anything to you, you would have gone full-pelt at her with your biker pals.”

  “You think so?”

  “I know so. Your kids are your sore point, and I’ve witnessed that many times. And Caitlyn, Billy and Charlie are smart. They knew you would go to jail, whether or not you actively touched Antoinette. They were scared you’d never see them again.”

  Andrew sat up. He was staring at Jackson strangely.

  “Are you like this all the time?”

  “Like what?”

  “Perceptive to the point of annoying.”

  That had Jackson bursting into laughter, loud enough that two clerks walking past jumped before giving them a wide berth.

  “You know I am.”

  “And I keep forgetting.” Andrew sighed, leaning into Jackson’s side. “Listen, I’m sorry about the other day.”

  “What are you discussing now?”

  “Don’t play dumb with me, Jackson. You know exactly what I’m talking about so I’m not spelling it out again. It’s just…” Andrew shrugged. “It’s just the natural instinct to protect my family. My kids are my everything.”

  “I understand why you did it, although I can’t appreciate the methods.” Jackson smiled. “I’m just relieved you went there alone and dressed like a father, not a biker. You would’ve scared the kids if you rolled up with your buddies.”

  “If it was another gang affiliate I was confronting, yes. But they’re just teenagers.” Andrew grimaced. “And that Josie Costello...she’s a miserable teenager who doesn’t realize that she’s in deep shit.”

  “I’m sure she’ll find out when her allowance is drastically cut by her parents.”

  “I made that a stipulation in the contracts. Whatever the parents pay me, the kids have to pay back the parents. They will be working from now on and it’s going to take several years to pay everything off.”

  Jackson laughed. He couldn’t see those teenagers being very happy at having to become human beings in the real world after racking up a debt before they had even reached adulthood.

  Several lawyers appeared from the courtroom next to theirs and began to file out. Jackson checked his watch. It had been nearly ten minutes since Sara had gone to the bathroom.

  “Sara’s taking a while.”

  “You know women. They’re probably growing another head in the bathroom with all that gassing.” Andrew frowned. “Even so…”

  He rose adjusting his suit pants. Jackson shrugged and stretched out his legs.

  “I’ll wait here.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Sara Manley wasn’t one to stand around chatting. She was a straight-forward woman, never deviated from her task. That included going to the bathroom. She was more than likely still in the bathroom finishing up, but Andrew’s gut said he needed to check up on her. Just to give him some relief that his friend was okay.

  He headed down the hallway that led to the nearby restrooms. And that was when he heard groaning. Quickening his pace, Andrew hurried around the corner.

  Sara was lying on the floor outside the restroom, clutching at her belly. Her white blouse was stained with blood, which was trickling through her fingers and onto the floor. She was white as a sheet, but she was still trying to get up.

  “Sara!”

  Andrew darted to her side, falling to his knees. He felt something wet under his knee as he laid Sara down. Sara pushed his hands away and tried to sit her up again.

  “It hurts, Andrew, but I’m not completely helpless.”

  “You need to lie still.”

  “Fuck that. Help me up.”

  Andrew could see there was no arguing with her. With Sara sounding like she was close to tears, Andrew helped her to sit up, shifting her to sit back against the wall. Sara breathed heavily through gritted teeth as Andrew checked her wounds. She had been stabbed. At least three times.

  “What the fuck happened?”

  “Antoinette.” Sara panted. “She...she was waiting for me as I left the bathroom. I was caught off-guard.”

  Andrew went cold. Antoinette had done this. How the fuck had she managed to get weapons past the guards? She would have been searched, no doubt about it. And why go after Sara?

  “Where did she go?”

  “Toward the fire exit.” Sara nodded down the hall. “That way.”

  Andrew tore off his jacket and laid it over Sara. He stroked her cheek, his fingers leaving a blood trail.

  “Stay here and don’t move.”

  “Give me my cell phone. I need to call it in.”

  Andrew slid Sara’s purse over to her and then started to run. Sara could take care of herself, and she would only whine if Andrew tried to do anything. Right now, he was more concerned at going after Antoinette. She had gone too far.

  He barged through the fire escape and into the parking lot. Then he saw the knife on the ground, lying in a pool of blood. Blood droplets were trailing along the ground toward the cars. Andrew followed them onto the level below.

  Once he got hold of Antoinette, his ex-wife was going to realize she had overstepped big-time. Abusing her children was one thing but to go after the lawyer who made her look like a fool?

  She had snapped.

  Andrew found his ex-wife hurrying to her car at the far end of the parking lot. She was stumbling in her heels, and even as far away as he was, Andrew could hear her crying. He ran over, darting between the cars.

  “Antoinette!”

  Antoinette turned. She looked a mess, tears streaking her white face. Nothing like the composed but sullen woman who had first gone into the courtroom. As Andrew got closer, Antoinette started fumbling in her purse. Then she brought out a gun and pointed it at Andrew’s head.

  Andrew drew up abruptly, holding up his hands.

  “Whoa! Put the gun down, Antoinette.”

  “No!”

  That was when Antoinette saw the look in her eyes. Wild. Panicked. She looked like a trapped animal. Andrew warily watched the gun wavering as she pointed it at his face.

  “That bitch destroyed me in court.” Antoinette’s voice was tight, holding back tears. “She shouldn’t have done that
. And you should’ve told the truth to the judge.”

  “I could say the same about you.” Andrew shot back. “You know Jackson and I never got together until recently.”

  “You may not have done it, but I’ve seen the way you two are around each other. He’s been in love with you for years.” Antoinette’s lip curled. “Jackson must think he’s on cloud nine now he’s fucking you.”

  “Antoinette…”

  Antoinette took a step back.

  “He’s wanted to get rid of me for years. And we were happy. You and me. We had everything. Until you refused to give me what I was due.”

  “What you were due?” Andrew wasn’t sure he was following her. “You mean my business?”

  “I wanted to help you! What was wrong with that?”

  “With your spending at the time, I didn’t trust you.”

  “I was your wife!” Antoinette screamed. “You should’ve trusted me regardless.”

  “But how could I trust the woman I loved with my money when she had shown she was unreliable with her own money? That wasn’t something to throw a fit about, though.”

  Antoinette’s mouth hardened into a thin line. She wasn’t trying to stop the tears.

  “It is. You were my husband. You were supposed to help me when I got into trouble instead of turning your back on me.”

  That was when realization dawned. It hadn’t been about control or falling out of love. It had been about money. Antoinette was in debt. And from the way she had been acting, it was too deep for her to get out of on her own. How had he not noticed that?

  “You asked for help from loan sharks, didn’t you?” Antoinette’s silence said everything. Andrew groaned. “Jesus Christ, Antoinette! Why didn’t you tell me the truth? You know I would’ve helped you had I known about this. We were partners, that was what we’re meant to do.”

  But Antoinette was shaking her head before he finished.

  “No, you couldn’t. You would’ve turned me out into the cold.”

  “That’s not true. You were my wife.”

  “And you wouldn’t let me help you with your business. I could’ve paid off my debts and then some.”

  “And put me into debt at the same time.” Andrew gritted his teeth. “So, because I refused to let you get your hands on my business, you beat up the children? Our children? How the fuck could you do that?”

  “I never touched them!”

  “You’re on trial for child abuse!”

  Antoinette took a deep breath, which turned into another one. The gun was wavering, but she hadn’t lowered it. Andrew inched himself closer.

  “I was under a lot of strain. But I never touched them. The loan shark just kept asking for more and more money. And when I didn’t have it when he snapped his fingers, he…”

  Andrew felt sick.

  “He got the kids beaten up.”

  Antoinette nodded. Andrew felt like he was in a nightmare. How had he not known?

  “But...why didn’t Caitlyn and Billy say anything?”

  “Because I begged them not to. They knew that things would get worse if they said a thing. And it was turning onto Charlie.”

  “Charlie?”

  “He’s just a little boy. Billy and Caitlyn can now fight back, so Charlie was the target. If we said anything, Charlie would be hurt.” Antoinette swallowed hard. “The loan shark wanted me to do...disgusting things to get money for him.”

  “He made you a prostitute?”

  “I had to be ready for him to fuck me whenever he wanted. It was him who pushed Charlie down the stairs.” Antoinette’s voice hitched. “I wanted to go to him, but he said I was to finish what I started.”

  Andrew felt sick. He had thought Antoinette was cold, but this was something else.

  “He owned me until I paid everything off.” Antoinette wailed. “I’d borrowed too much, and the interest was too high. The kids didn’t understand. Caitlyn kept saying I should go to the police and Billy said I should tell you. The Blackhawks could have helped me. But everyone had turned their backs on me, and I had no one to turn to.”

  “I would’ve helped you if you told me.”

  “No, you wouldn’t.” Antoinette sniffed loudly. “This is all your fault; do you know that?”

  “My fault?”

  “If you had helped me in the beginning, we wouldn’t be where we are now. And I wouldn’t have fallen behind that badly for the loan shark bastard to take things into his own hands.”

  Andrew had spent years understanding Antoinette. She had a habit of talking in a roundabout way, and he wasn’t often astute enough to figure them out. But he understood this.

  “Are you saying that he got Caitlyn stabbed?”

  “Didn’t you know? Tina Marko is his daughter. The fact she was already mad at Caitlyn made it perfect. He just needed to whisper into Tina’s ear to take a knife along to a fight and she would do it. She’s not going to give up her dad, though.”

  “Do you have proof of this?”

  “That he told Tina to do it? Text messages, verbal threats, the lot.” Antoinette was shaking. “He keeps reminding me whenever I’m late with a payment.”

  Andrew felt like he had been stabbed himself. How had he not known about any of this? And how could a man be cold enough to get his teen daughter to go after a classmate with a knife? That was disgusting. He swallowed hard.

  “Antoinette, if this is true then you need to tell the police. Tell the judge.”

  “No.” Antoinette shook her head. “He’ll kill Caitlyn for good if I do. And while we’ve not had the best relationship in recent years, she’s still my little girl. I’m not losing her. I’m in too deep, Andrew, and everyone’s turned against me.”

  “You did do a lot of that to yourself.”

  Antoinette snarled, jabbing at him with the gun. Andrew had moved close enough that it almost hit him in the jaw.

  “And you’re always blaming me!” Antoinette shrieked. “I did what I could to survive!”

  “It’s never your fault, is it? It’s everyone else’s fault. Nothing is at your door.”

  He thought Antoinette was going to pull the trigger at that point. She looked angry enough to do it. Antoinette was breathing heavily, and Andrew could see her grip adjusting as the gun slipped. She was sweating heavily.

  “I loved you, Andrew. And you betrayed me when I needed you the most. Then you turned to that man.”

  “It’s been four years, Antoinette.” Andrew was weighing up if he could get away with snatching the gun from her without Antoinette shooting him. “And if you hadn’t made it so difficult and had been honest, I might have considered a second chance. Not now.”

  “You love that guy?”

  “I do.” Andrew didn’t need to think. “I’m going to make sure the kids are raised without any violence around them.”

  “You’re a biker. The Blackhawks…”

  “Are not criminals. And just because I’m part of the biking community doesn’t mean I’m going to drag them into the middle of a war.” Andrew held out a hand. “Put the gun down, Antoinette.”

  “No.” Antoinette shook her head. “I’ve got no one now. There’s no point.”

  Then Andrew’s heart leapt into his mouth as she pressed the gun to her temple. He had never considered her suicidal before.

  “You were never a coward before. Don’t take the coward’s way out.”

  “What choice do I have?”

  “You have a lot of choices, none of them including suicide.” Andrew reached out and closed his hand around the gun. “This time, let me help. And for me to help, you need to come clean about everything.”

  Antoinette didn’t fight him as Andrew took the gun, putting the safety on and tucking it into the back of his pants. Antoinette was shaking.

  “Help me?”

  Andrew swallowed.

  “I will.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Jackson was stunned at the turn of events. From the shout that there was a stab
bing near the restrooms to Andrew coming back in with Antoinette in his arms wailing like a baby. He was still trying to process it all hours later.

  Andrew had told him everything, and Jackson felt like his head was about to explode. Antoinette had started borrowing money after her account was overdrawn to the point there was nothing left. And she had gone to the wrong loan shark. Troy Marko was known to the police and he was very ruthless. His interest rates were ridiculous and by the time Antoinette had figured it out, she was in too deep.

  Caitlyn and Billy had known about it and had become victims of Marko’s lackies beating them if Antoinette refused to pay. But they never said anything about it, to protect their mother and Charlie. Even after everything Antoinette had done, her children still loved her. They tried to protect her how they could.

  And for Marko to get his daughter to stab Caitlyn...that was just cold. Jackson couldn’t believe the teen actually went through with it. Now Tina was going to be tried as an adult, and Marko was being tried alongside her. He had overstepped the mark big-time, and there was no getting out of it.

  Antoinette was going to be charged on a lot of things—her contempt of court charge was still there—but the child abuse charges had been dropped. However, Sara had argued that Antoinette could get lesser sentences if she testified against Marko. Even from her hospital bed, she was still negotiating.

  Jackson didn’t know what to think about that. He was still sour over Antoinette’s actions, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized where Antoinette was coming from. He felt some pity for her over what had happened. Not much, but a little bit.

  He was more concerned about Andrew. His lover had been mostly silent after giving his statement. The shock had taken over, and Jackson was worried about how quiet Andrew had gone. It was going to take a lot to get things processed properly.

  They left Andrew’s bike at the courthouse and Jackson took Andrew back to his house. Caitlyn had taken one look at Andrew’s face and made herself scarce, shepherding Billy and Charlie away. Jackson had taken Andrew to the bedroom and undressed him, making him get into bed. Andrew curled into a ball, burrowing under the duvet, and then he didn’t move.